Culvert construction



L. W. BENZ.

CULVERT CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION man MAR-13,1917.

. PatentedAug. 19,1919.

1 sizes, the width UTTED LEONHARDT W. BENZ, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

CULVERT CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 19, 1919.

Application filed March 13, 1917. Serial No. 154,530.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, LEONHARDT W. BENZ,

a citizen of the United States, residing at New Orleans, in the parishof Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Culvert Construction, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to sheet metal culverts and the like, and itproposes, briefly, an extremely strong, durable and economical articleof the general class or character stated, which is made up ofseparately-constructed parts, sections or members of improved form;these sections being of such a nature that they can be stacked up inminimum compass for storage or shipment, and, in the latter case, can bereadily and quickly assembled on reaching their destination, and can,with equal facility, be detached fromone another either for furtherpacking, shipment and installation, or for the replacing of worn ordamaged sections by new ones.

The invention also proposes a sectional culvert of the above type, whichmay be readily and quickly lengthened or shortened by the addition orremoval of one or more sections, as desired, and this without entailingthe dismantling of the already completed culvert to any extent whatever,or injuring or impairing the sections thereof in any way.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing, whereof Figure l is a transverse sectional view of a culvertconstructed in accordance with the invention, the section being taken online 1-1, Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a fragmental side elevation.

Fig. 3 is a fragmental plan view.

Figs. 4: and 5 are perspective views of the two forms of sectionsemployed.

Figs. 6 and 7 are enlarged perspective views of the component members ofthe fastening. devices employed in connecting the sections.

Referring more particularly to said drawing, the improved culvert isshown as constructed of two sets of inter-connected, approximatelysemi-cylindrical sections 8 and 9. These sets z'gwre made in twodifferent f the sections 8, (Fig. l), being somewhat less than that ofthe sections 9, (Fig. 5) both sets of sections have,

however, the same diameter. The sections are formed of sheet metal, andmay be either corrugated or plain, the former construction beingillustrated.

The sections are arranged side by side in distinct upper and lowerseries, as represented in Fig. 2, so that one series of sections willconstitute the bottom portion of the finished culvert, while the otherseries will constitute the top portion of the culvert; and since thewidth of the several sections is less than the length thereof, the longcurved side edges 10 and 11 of said sections will lie transversely ofthe culvert, and the sections themselves will, in effect, have a similararrangement relative to the culvert,

instead of being disposed longitudinally, as is usually the case. Theside edges of the successive sections of both series are overlapped, asshown, and the end edges 12 and 13 of the sections of one series are, inlike manner, lapped over those of the sections of the other series, thevarious edges being subsequently fastened together.

In effecting the connection of the overlapping edges of the sections, itis desired to avoid the use of any and all threaded parts, as such addappreciably to the actual cost of manufacture of the culvert, and entailconsiderable time and trouble in the assemblage of its sections, as wellas requiring special tools and good mechanics, neither the one nor theother always being available. Accordingly, the present form offastenings has been devised with this end in view, such fasteningcomprising merely a link or staple 14, and a key 15 for coactiontherewith. As shown in Fig. 6, this link or staple is U-shaped and itsprojecting wing portions 16 are provided with longitudinal slots 17,which are disposed exactly opposite each other. These portions 16 aredesigned to project outwardly through registering slots 18 and 19 formedin the sections 8 and 9, respectively, said slots being located adjacentto and parallel with the opposite end edges of the sections and havingan arrangement which is common for all of the sect-ions of a series.

WVhen the various sections are positioned as above described, therewill, in consequence, be two parallel, horizontal lines of slots at eachside of the culvert, one line just above the end edges of the lowersections, and the other line just below the end edges of the uppersections, so that the sections 9, there are three of these-slots at eachend thereof, the twoouter ones being located'in proximity to the cornersof the sections, while the third one is located approximately midwaybetween the first two; the two slots in the narrow sections 8 likewisebeing located adjacent the corners, of the sections. The sectionsthemselves are preferably disposed in the manner illus trated in Figs. 2and 3, the free side or transverse edge of each section of each seriesbeing disposed approximately opposite the central portion of'theadjacent section of the other series. The narrow sections are used totrue up the end of the culvert, or they may be used to increase thelength of the culvert to a short extent only, their slots 18 beingpositioned with this end in view.

as to form joints of the desired tightness.

The culvert constructed in accordance with the preceding association ofparts is exceptionally strong and durable and it will be seen in Fig. 1that the shorter sections 8 are within the upper sections 9 therebygiving thetop of the arch or the upper portion of the closure a verystrong wall. Moreover, the end edges of the lower sections 9 and of theupper sections 9 and 8 all terminate withinthe wing portions 16 of thestaples 14, the slots 18 and 19 m the respective sections 8 and 9 beingin such position that when joined or placed in coincidence-will providefor the positioningof the said end edges of the sections within the saidwing portions 16. By so disposing the end edges of the sections withinthe wing is to a, large extent removed from the slots .18 and 19.Another material advantage of the improved structure is that the slots18 of the sections '8 and the slots 19 of the sections 9 are the samedistance apart'inre .SPGCUVG sections so as to makethe assemblage of thesections very easy and certain and. providing for the disposition of anyone or two of the openings 1 8 in registration with any one or two ofthe openings-19.

However, as heretofore explained, the two openings 18 of each section 8will register able.

with two of the openings 19 on each side of each section 9 and therebyfacilitate the introduction of the staples 14 and securement of the sameand of the joints by the wedges 15. The inner straight edge of eachwedge 15 bears against the outer surface of the adjacent end edgeportion of the section 9 as shown in Fig. 1 and exerts considerablepressure against the overlapped section edge portions against theresistance set up by the shank or body portions 20 of the staples Llwhich lie against the inner side edge portions of one of the sections.

,The pressure required to effect this closure of the joints, is affordedby the keys 15, (Fig. 7), which are so constructed as to exert anoutward wedging action upon the staples, for which purpose thley areformed with tapered lower ends 21, as

shown, while their upper ends are provided with enlargements '01 heads.22, the length of such heads being somewhat greater than that of theslots 17 in the staples. The keys are flat, and are of a size as topermit them to be inserted point downward through said slots, duringwhich movement they will forcibly wedge or cam the staples outwardthrough the slots in the culvert sections; lit will be apparent that thekeys may be readily driven into place as above described, by means of ahammer, mallet or other implement of like character, or even bya woodenor metal bar, block or the like, so that their positioning is in no wisedependent upon the use of special tools of any character as is the casewhere rivets, bolts, or screws are employed, which is an advantage ofconsiderable importance inasmuch as such tools may not always be avail-It will be equally apparent from the fore going, that the removal of thekeys from the staples may be effected readily and quickly by strikingupwardly against the lower ends of the keys, whereupon the staples canbe driven inwardly through the slots in the culvert sections, and thelatter themselves detached from one another. On the other hand, where itis desired to shorten-" the culvert, thev sections at each or. "bothends may be removed without requiring any disconnection of the remainingsections, and, moreover, without entailing any injury whatever either tothe sections which: are removed, or to those which are allowedto stand;and, similarly, sections may be added to the complete culvert, wheneverit is desired to increasethe length thereof; j The size of the widesections is constant, that is, all of said sections are of counterpartconstruction, and are inade'in stock,-- so that they can be readilyduplicated, when injured, and can, moreover, be stacked-up in piles, soas to occupy the least possible space in storage or shipment. The narrowsections are also made in stock sizes, as will be understood.

I claim as my invention 1. A culvert comprising a plurality of metalsections varying in length and-having overlapping association, thesections being provided with opposite series of slots adjacent to theside edges thereof and the shorter sections having similar slots in theopposite side edges thereof less in number than the slots of the longersections, the distance between each pair of slots in the respectivesections being uniform so that a registration of any two of the slots inthe said sections may be effected, staple fastening devices havingopposite terminal wing portions with slots therein disposed exactlyopposite each other to remo 'ably engage any of the coinciding slots ofthe respective sections, and a wedge pin removably inserted in the twoslotted extremities of each fastening and having an inner straight edgebearing against the adjacent portion of the outer section to tighten thejoint formed between the sections.

2. A culvert comprising upper and lower series of metal sectionsassociated by overlapping the end edge portions of the sections, a partof the sections overlapping the remaining portions of said sections andall of the sections being provided with openings formed in twohorizontal rows at each side of each section, each two of the openingsin each of the said sections being precisely the same distance apart andthe openings of the several sections when the latter are assembled andoverlapped being located both above and below the end edges of theoverlapped sections, attachable fastenings for said sections embodyingstaples inserted through the upper and lower rows of openings andstraddling the overlapped edges of the sections, the wings of thestaples projecting outwardly to the exterior of the culvert and havingslots therein, and locking cam pins removably inserted in the slots ofthe staple wings and each having an inner straight edge clamping tightlyagainst the adjacent portions of the sections.

3. A culvert comprising upper and lower series of metal sections, a partof the sections being shorter than the remaining sections and allarranged with their mutually adjacent side and end edges overlapped, thesaid sections being formed with openings arranged in two horizontal rowsat each side of the culvert, one row being directly below and the otherrow directly above the end edges of the upper and lower series ofsections, attachable fastenings of U-shaped form inserted through theopenings from the interior of the culvert and having their wingsprojecting outwardly to the exterior of the culvert, each pair of wingsbeing vertically alined and provided with slots in verticalregistration, and a cam pin inserted in the slots of each pair of Wingsof each staple and bearing against the adjacent eX- terior portion ofthe culvert.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

LEONHARDT W. BENZ.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

